ARC Raiders is Being Review Bombed

Embark Studios launched the Riven Tides update for ARC Raiders on April 28th, but players quickly responded with overwhelmingly negative reviews on Steam. This ‘review bombing’ has already lowered the game’s overall rating on the platform.

The recent ‘Riven Tides’ update for ARC Raiders hasn’t been well-received by players, which is disappointing for Embark Studios, especially as it was intended to be the culmination of their Escalation roadmap. While the update included several new features – a coastal map, the Arc Turbine, a beachcombing condition, a new tool, items, blueprints, a revamped expedition system, and a treasure hunting mechanic – player feedback suggests it didn’t live up to expectations despite sounding promising on paper.

ARC Raiders Reviews Are Dropping

Reviews for ARC Raiders on Steam are now considered “Mixed,” with only 65% of recent previews recommending the game, according to Insider Gaming. This number is likely to fall further in the coming days, as negative reviews are being posted at roughly twice the rate of positive ones (Insider Gaming). The surge of negative feedback started when Riven Tides was released and has been fueled by disappointed fans. However, it’s worth noting that ARC Raiders didn’t have a particularly strong player base to begin with.

Although player numbers for ARC Raiders on Steam are lower than when the game first launched in 2025, it remains more popular than many other games. The release of the Riven Tides update caused a small initial increase in players, but that boost didn’t last. Many players who tried Riven Tides didn’t continue playing it, and this pattern continued over the weekend. The game’s Last Resort event, which started with Riven Tides, is still running until May 25th, but since most players didn’t stay engaged during the first week, it’s unlikely they’ll return later this month.

Like all player count data from Steam, the numbers aren’t complete, but they generally give a good idea of a game’s popularity. For instance, Apex Legends recently showed an increase in Steam players, which likely means more people are playing on consoles too. The recent re-release of Overwatch also saw a jump in player numbers. However, it’s unclear if these increases in popular battle royale and hero shooter games have had any impact on games like ARC Raiders.

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Although the recent issues with the Riven Tides update have likely upset some players, other factors could be at play. The release of Bungie’s new game, Marathon, and the popularity of other multiplayer games, along with disappointing updates to existing ones, may be drawing players away. Despite this, ARC Raiders still has a generally positive rating on Steam and a loyal player base. It will be interesting to see how the game bounces back from the current negative reviews and how the situation unfolds.

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2026-05-02 21:34